Porcelain sculpture of a seal made by the Belgian Cerabel company in the 1930s.

L 23 cm – H 29 cm – D 19 cm

Cerabel (Société Anonyme Belge de Céramique Cerabel) was a fairly significant Belgian porcelain factory located in Baudour, a borough of Saint-Ghislain (province of Hainaut).

Porcelain production in Baudour was launched in 1842 by François-Joseph Declercq. After several mergers and acquisitions, the name was officially changed to Cerabel on April 26, 1934. The company grew to become one of Belgium’s leading porcelain manufacturers and, at its peak, employed more than 500 workers.

In addition to tableware (both for everyday use and luxurious hotel and dining sets), the company also produced art objects, including Art Deco animal sculptures.

Due to fierce competition from abroad, the factory went bankrupt in 1977. It was acquired by the Japanese company NGK Ceramics, which shifted its focus exclusively to industrial technical porcelain (laboratory supplies and high-voltage insulators).

Between 1935 and 1947, Cerabel porcelain was marked with a simple stamp reading “porcelaine Cerabel”

Starting in 1947, the company used the “à la servante” logo. This is a drawing of a maid (based on a painting by the French artist François Boucher) with the text “Porcelaine de Baudour – Made in Belgium” below it.